Review: Coyote Run by Lilith Saintcrow

Blurb:

In the first Amazing Tale of Antifascist Action, New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow serves up science fiction pulp in a North America fractured by drones, bioweapons, and ideology, giving us a heroine practically made out of violent resistance.

THE RUNNER

Just behind the front lines of a war they call 'civil', the shifter called Coyote is tough, fast, ugly-and known for taking jobs nobody else will.

THE JOB

Marge's sister is locked in a prison camp civilians shouldn't know about, deep in enemy territory. Rescuing her will take a plan made of weapons-grade insanity.

THE TRICK

To get in, all Coyote has to do is get caught.

THE PAYOFF

None, unless the satisfaction of killing an old enemy counts. And maybe a few small bounties from murdering fascist clones...

RUN, COYOTE. RUN.

Review:

Ok, let me start at the beginning so you can go into this review with the information I had going into the story. 

I got asked by a friend if I wanted to review an anthology from Kevin Hearne’s new imprint and it’s anti fascist themed. So between that message and the blurb I was kindly sent by Kevin, alongside the ARC of Coyote Run, I knew I was in for something anti fascist (the only way to be IMO), pulpy (ok cool, cool, that can be fun) and in the sci-fi category. I have no problems with any of these things. 

Fortunately, I also had no problems with Coyote Run too. I don’t fully know where I went or what was always going on but I enjoyed the entire ride.

We’re in a post-Covid world where humans, or single-skins, live alongside (shape)shifters. With a title like Coyote Run, I am sure you can guess what our MC can shift into. Anyway, “since at least ‘19”, we have a landscape that consists of Mexi-Federal, Cascadia, Transcanada and a place called Lindyland which has clones, cryptids, and fascism (shocker). While we spend our time in this dystopian, fractured North American landscape, I always appreciate when stories consider what’s going on elsewhere in the world. Like the joke discussion around The Purge films about what the rest of the world is thinking when the US is doing this. In this case we know “Other continents had their own problems, or were waiting to see how all this would shake out.” Very considerate of Lilith to answer that wondering thought and also very fair of the other continents. 

The story almost entirely follows Coyote, who is “bugfuck” (which I learnt means crazy), takes the jobs no one else will (we know from the blurb) and is like the epitome of ‘It’ll grow on you.’ Because by the end of it, she had fully grown on me. Our second key character, Marge, who is um..lovingly(?) referred to by Coyote as large and in charge, is our catalyst for everything and hires Coyote at a woefully low rate to rescue her sister.

“Is that the prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about?” Yes, that is the blurb mentioned prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about with Marge’s sister inside. 

It should kind of go without saying that an anti fascist book that has a partial setting in a fascist prison camp will have some…distressing moments. There is literally a character nicknamed Doctor Death and it’s not because he’s merciful. But we know from the blurb there’s THE PAYOFF and with nothing hugely awful depicted on page, I think we can all agree this is a net win for Coyote. She even gets her DONQ-E unit called Chicken tuned up in anticipation of the job! (This makes marginally more sense in context, I promise.)  More importantly for us as the reader, the entire job is eyes wide, heart racing, wtaf questioning, and wholly captivating as it all goes down. I have never cackled more at the image of someone stealing a vehicle while deliriously shouting ‘I’M FUCKING PASSIN THROUGH!’. Granted this was the first time such an image has presented itself but I’m 1:1 on it nonetheless. 

Vehicle theft and delirious shouting isn’t even the tip of the iceberg on how absolutely over the top and out there Coyote Run is. Like “pulpy” even feels like an understatement. But it’s so. much. fun. and kept me glued to the pages. It’s political in a way that doesn’t pull punches but doesn’t beat you over the head with the point. It’s relevant to the changes we’re seeing in the world. It’s just plain good! Part way through I also mentally cast the narrator as a gritty woman that smoked too much and sounds like Roz from Monsters Inc which I feel really added to my sense of the book. That might not work for everyone. You do you, it’s fine. 

This was my first foray into Lilith Saintcrow’s works, and while I needed to go slowly over some parts to really get what was being said, I absolutely have to pick up more by her. And if this is the standard we can expect from Kevin Hearne’s new imprint, I have very high hopes and expectations for it.

Coyote Run is available from 25 February 2025.